Three Lifes, One Path
by SamChikane
Summary: This is just a set of stories I create in my head while earing the song Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm by Crash Test Dummies. I hope you like it, is my first attempt to get back to writing.
1. First Verse - Tobias

**Autor's Note**

**English is not my mother tongue, so I appreciate your support for any corrections.**

* * *

_Once there was this kid who_  
_Got into an accident and couldn't come to school_  
_But when he finally came back_  
_His hair had turned from black into bright white_  
_He said that it was from when_  
_The cars had smashed him so hard_

**FIRST VERSE**

Tobias had 14 years when his life change…

He used to sit in the front row of the classroom and always rise is hand to answer the questions, because he loved to learn.

He loved to play with his friends outside; they will ride their bikes to the lake and do cannonballs or if there was rain and if they couldn't play outside, he played in his house with his father scale cars collection, he loved that collection.

Every day after school he use to walk to his mother coffee shop and every day he had seen her busy as hell, but very happy, his coffee shop was the most popular and always had the most interesting clients, because the café has the aura of the world, his father - a photojournalist – took several of the pictures that decorated the walls, so when you enter, you could see the vast of the Serengeti, the beautiful details of the golden temple in Amritsar and the impressive views of the Himalayan mountains, those where is favorites.

His parents love him very much and he felt grateful of having them, even when his father used to travel so much, he always have time for him, and used to love surprises, never tell him the exact date of his comeback so he could surprise him at school or at home, if he came back in a school day, he used to pick him up and take him for ice cream, during their walk is father used to tell him about the trip, the places, the feeling and everything in between, and always promise him to take him some day, when he gets older.

They bought a couple of buckets with ice cream and go to find his mother; she used to scolding them for buying ice cream before dinner but they show her the bucket, and is vanilla with cholate chips, her favorite, so she will laugh and forget all about the cooking and then his father used to kiss his mother and sit side by side in the couch, the vanilla ice cream with them and the strawberry with him on the floor where he is watching TV, Tobias used to look behind him an see his parents looking at each other and looking very happy, once he pick up his father camera and press the shutter, capturing the moment forever, but his parents are so far away, in their world that never ear the shutter…

Their parents were spiritual persons and went to church every Sunday that's when his life change…

A driver fall asleep while driving and lost control of his truck, the cars on the line couldn't avoid it and a relatively quiet day become a nightmare his parents car was hit in both back and front at the point of being wrapped from the pilot side let them trapped, Tobias felt a lot of pain and the last thing he heard before pass out was his mother voice saying his name…

He woke up the next day, and realize that he was in a hospital and felt a presence by the side of his bed, turning he saw his uncle laying in the chair sleep and when he try to move, a little whimper scape his lips and his uncle woke up instantly, he look at him with sorrow and hope, he ask for his parents, his uncle lowering his eyes, took his hand and did what he always did, said the things as they are, **_"They are gone"_**, that is it, he spends the next hours holding him, let him cry, and repeating to his ear **_"we'll be ok, they will guard us from above, my baby sister will protect me, her idiot brother, so I can take care of her son"_** he keep crying, his uncle was holding him has much as he can, without hurting him, he had two broken legs, cracked ribs and a nasty gag in his forehead. That night his uncle move him to a wheelchair for him to go to the bathroom but when he was in the bathroom and sees his reflection, before even realizes, a scream at the top of his lounges left his mouth, his uncle ran to the bathroom and stands between him and the mirror but it was too late, he already had seen his reflection, his hair was bright white and he didn't understand it, the doctor came and explain to him that the shock and fear of the crash turned his air white and his uncle, more like a reassurance than a fact, keep saying to him that he was safe and everything was going to be ok. But Tobias didn't care about being safe, his parents were gone.

The school year was nearly over, so the last tests he did them from home or in the physiotherapist office, his teachers make tests specials for him, so the other kids didn't give him the answers, he pass, he had finish elementary school and will go to high school after the summer, by then he probably will be able to walk.

The summer came and with that, his recovery, his friends spend almost all the time with him in his house, they were only away during his therapy and before dinner, they joke, they play, but they were afraid…

When the summer ends, he is able to walk with a cane, so he does what his parents would wanted, he went to school, but even when his friends went to the same school as him and there was no difference, almost all the persons in the hall look at him with curiosity, after all, he has bright white hair, a nice shortcut but white and walk with a cane.

He didn't sit in the front or raise his hand to answer questions, he just stay in the back where nobody could look at him openly, he was a good student, but didn't enjoy been staring at.

He is not happy and bright, he can't play with his friend anymore or going with them to the lake, now he ate his lunch in the football field, where nobody will look for him, there - he tough - is alone and could ate without disturbances…

After school and knowing that his father won't surprise him at school and going to buy ice cream he walks to his mother coffee shop, avoids the school bus, people keep staring at him, but hey, it was the first day, probably tomorrow they find something else to be distracted…

His uncle runs the coffee shop now; he try to not change a thing but he add two pictures in the booth of the owner, the table where his father use to sit while waiting for her mother and were he sits and do homework, there were two pictures, one of his parents smiling and a gorgeous mountain was behind them and the other were his parents backs to the camera looking an amazing sunrise, after closing, they never go for ice cream, they go home and he didn't sit in the couch, he goes straight to his room and tries to sleep.

Before he realizes a week as pass and he predicted he is old news, so now he can eat in the cafeteria, but he prefers the field and he start to think about the future and goes to the library, looking for a book about photography, the old librarian tell him were the books are, but he can't find what he is looking for a girl with the tag **_"volunteer librarian"_** help him to find it, is a nice girl maybe a little odd with is long shelve blouse and turtle neck, but hey, who is him to judge? His hair is white and still uses the cane to walk. He says thank you and leaves, he calls his uncle and tells him that he is going straight home and when he gets there, for the first time since the passing of his parents, he goes down to the his father office in the basement and look through his things, he found the camera he was toying with that last night and finds that there is still one photo left to take before the film is over, his father preferred the old cameras, and reveled the pictures himself, for that, the basement is perfect, so Tobias take the camera, the tripod and put the timer, went to the bench and tries to smile, but he can't so after hear the shutter he retires the roll just like is father show him and put it in his case, the next day after school he goes to the photography store, the guy that runs it was a friend of his father so he reveled the pictures the very next day and for free.

He calls his uncle again about going home after school and there alone, he sits in the couch, put out the pictures and spread them on the low table his eyes were tearful while he watch every single one of the pictures in the table, he was expecting to see is father work, but instead he sees his family, all the pictures were pictures of them, in school, in the yard behind the house, in the park, in the church, all where pictures of him and his mom, happy moments, ordinary moments and finally, he saw he one he took of his parents in that same couch, in a moment when they were happy and in love and finally the las picture was his, a photo of a kid who lost everything and need to find his way to happiness.

At 22, barely out of college he wed his high school girlfriend, in a ceremony where his best friend, the quarterback of the high school team and future NFL player, is the best man and he knows, that it was the happiest day in his life so far, she walk through the aisle her eyes looking to him and only to him, they smile to each other before looking to the priest, they got married in the church of his parents and have a lovely banquet before they left for the honeymoon. As soon as they get back, he look over the accounts of the coffee shop once a month in an effort to help his uncle, but at the same time he is looking for a very particular job…

Now, at 29, he is a photojournalist working for the same magazine his father work and when he is in town, he took his six year old for ice cream after school and bought some for his wife and every time they see each other even when there were only minutes apart they will have the same expression of care and love, and his son loved his hair, because he can be Santa every day of the year.

He lived his life like it was the last day on earth because he knows that death is in every road, in every minute, just waiting to claim him, he cheated her once, but no one can do it twice.


	2. Second Verse - Sara

**Autor's Note**

**English is not my mother tongue, so I appreciate your support for any corrections.**

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_Once there was this girl who_  
_Wouldn't go and change with the girls in the change room_  
_But when they finally made her_  
_They saw birthmarks all over her body_  
_She couldn't quite explain it_  
_They'd always just been there_

**SECOND VERSE**

Sara was born in the middle of the winter, her parents were so happy and excited about her arrival; the doctors say she was so anxious to meet them that she came a whole moth before due time. She was very little and didn't have enough weight, the first time her mother saw her she was cover all over his body with red stains and the doctors put her in an incubator and give her antibiotics to treat her rash, for a moth she was treated and when at three months old she was discharge from the hospital and go home for the first time, she still had stains and the doctors say that some of them were going to disappear before two years and some others never, including the ones in his neck and back , but she was healthy.

She grow up happy and bright and tried too hard to never let anyone sees his marks because she was afraid of been observe by the rest of the school, she loves books, and spend his time in the library, and tried to hide from his parents her lack of friends, she wasn't that good talking to people and she didn't have the courage to speak in class, so she keep to herself her thoughts and dreams, and she was a good student, but she always wait for the other girls to shower before going in herself and she always get to the locker room before them so she change hers clothes alone and the other girls feel like she was a weird girl and try to not feel hurt by her attitude.

Sara had 14 years when his life took a turn…

The girls decided to try and be friends with her and ask her to go change with them or at least tell them why she was so scared of sharing the showers and Sara decided that if she wants to ever have friends she may be willing to be open about what she doesn't like about her body. So she decides to trust the girls and she goes with them to the locker room, and when they see the birthmarks in her back they decided that she has nothing to be ashamed of and became their friends. After all, every girl has something she doesn't like about her body.

So, by the end of the school year she has friends and his parents been spiritual persons, take her to the church every Sunday and they stay to help the minister's wife with the dominical school when they hear a noise, a massive collision in the road to the church, his father been a paramedic, runs of to help and with a lot of care and help they rescue a boy, unconscious but alive, his parents are not that lucky and she recognize him, he was on church every Sunday and in the same school, but not in the same group so she never know his name.

She was in the hospital after his treatment to treat her rash, when ears a scream she runs, there was a little crow of people outside of a room when a doctor and a men running into, the doctor leave like half hour later, but the man stays inside and she decides to leave.

The school year was nearly over, so with her grades she was able to miss the last classes and prepare for the summer camp.

She was leaving the hospital after her therapy when first saw him, he was trying crutches for the first time, she notices his hair but doesn't wonder…

When the summer ends, she is ready for the new school, most of her friends are with her, so she is not alone but she knows there will be some new classmates to face but she is not scared, not anymore…

She walks down the hallway and finds is locker, while she is ordering his things the hallway became silence, she does look but it's only the boy from the hospital, she remembers him, his white air and now he uses a cane, she finish organizing his locker and close it, she walks to class while everybody eyes follow him.

She find her classroom and has a habit, she sits in the corner at the end of the classroom, her friends convince her to sit with them and so, she took a sit on the second row of the class and start the day, She notes some people trying to look at the end of the class room but, she doesn't care, after class and during lunch his friends are in other activities, but they comment about the kid in class with his bright white hair looking for him on the cafeteria, but not seeing him, she doesn't care, she is looking at the application she find in the board about voluntaries for the library, after all she loves books…

After school she stays with the librarian she is the only volunteer and the librarian is old so the work is hard, but she loves it, is quiet and has some sort of calm, she stays every day after school so his friends are not idea that she goes to the hospital each week for therapy and she prefers it that way, after volunteering or therapy she goes home and does her homework in her room with soft music in the background.

She has dinner with her parents and told them all about her first day and the library, and they are hopeful that she makes more friends.

Before she realizes a week as pass and the boy with white hair is old news, nobody talk about him anymore, in the library she has starting to think about the future and in one of her daydreams the voice of a boy interrupts her, he is looking for a book about photography, he smiles and his bright white hair gives her a sensation of warm, she helps him and says goodbye with a smile, he looks at her with curiosity, and she pulls of his long shelve blouse, he says thank you and leaves, that afternoon she told his parents about her plans and they smile at the happiness they see in her eyes, later, she tells her mother about the boy in the library and her mom is happy that she is growing up and learning to be happy with herself.

Sara spends most of her time in the library, but also in the school paper and drama club, she writes reviews for the paper and helps the drama teacher with the screenplays, she became friend of a lot of people they find odd that she spends a lot of time in the library because she really love that place and in some ways, she feel free while reads about all the places around the world where the authors find inspiration, she pictures herself in the highlands of Scotland and England, in the big gardens of Japan, the beautiful temples in Asia, the vast of the regions in Africa even finds a magazine with the most beautiful pictures of those places, she even make his parents to order it by mail since it was an old edition, and even try to convince them to get a subscription, she fails, but her parents are happy that she is open herself up to the world.

Even with all the activities she does, she still loves spend time in the library, finds peace in the words of others and eventually uses her imagination to write her own stories, her own tales and maybe someday, she'll make a living of it.

When the boy of the photography books come back and they start talking, they share their dreams, he tells her that someday he will be a photographer and she tell him that she will be a writer, both smile because neither of those chosen career paths are conventional and the halls know rumor about them their friendship is by far the most rare in the school because they don't care about the other distinctiveness, I mean, she uses a turtleneck blouse, with long sleeves and he has brightly white hair and uses a cane to walk...

Sara is overjoy, not only she has finish High School, but also she will attend the college of her choice with the prospect of doing a double major in literature and admin, after all, she has a new dream that allow her to have not only time for writing, but to be surrender by books, is new dream is to own a nice library…

But perhaps the happiest moment of the final year was her boyfriend taking her to her prom, wearing a beautiful soft blue, sleeveless dress; she finally was comfortable with herself and with the birth marks in her body, the ones that never faint…

At 23 she gave birth to his son, a beautiful baby boy, his godfather was their best friend, newly drafted in the NFL, beaming of happiness, she smiles to her husband and see in his eyes all the love she fells just like a mirror, she started to write her first book of children during the last months of her pregnancy hoping she interest a publisher soon, while she works in a little coffee shop, her husband is back for the born of his baby and love every second of his presence, but she knows that he is in the pad of his dream, he was hired barely a month ago in the job of his dreams, both of them are in the pad to their dreams…

Now at 30, she is a writer in her own right, she start small, publish little story's for kids and became famous among the children's authors, she have a series of books that make children's imagine and follow clues, and be happy, now she want to write something for adults, some mystery, maybe suspense, but not romance, she prefer to live it, for now she doesn't know what to write for adults, but that has little meaning, because she knows, she can do anything she dream.

Some nights, when her husband pick up their 7 years old son from school he'll take him to bought ice cream, she love strawberry, they will sit together without talking just enjoying their time together, smiles when he confirm that won't leave before their son's birthday party and that will help him to blow up the candles, he will kiss the birthmarks she have in the back of her neck, and she pass is hand over his bright white air, knowing how much her son loves it and remembers the first time they spoke to each other….


	3. Third Verse - Martin

**Autor's Note**

**English is not my mother tongue, so I appreciate your support for any corrections.**

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_'Cause then there was this boy whose_  
_Parents made him come directly home right after school_  
_And when they went to their church_  
_They shook and lurched all over the church floor_  
_He couldn't quite explain it_  
_They'd always just gone there_

**THIRD VERS**

Martin was a quiet kid, always has been, he was a much desired baby, his parents where so happy with the news, and for the firsts 10 years of his life, he was a happy boy, a cherished and loved boy, but as he grown up, he was a very reserved kid, eventually his parent's became part of a group to help the church, because they believe that god will help them, specially his mother to get better and they used to read the bible every day at dinner, and every night they find a reason to punish him and he will have is back completely black.

In some ways, he was used to be and adult, he had to take care of his parents, not because he wants to but because they need him to be there for them.

He love school, he wasn't particularly good but he love the fact that school keep him away of home half of the day and he had try to convince his father to let him try sports and stay a little longer but his father tell him no and hit him after he told him to remember come back home straight after school and every time he didn't he will be punish.

One Sunday prove to be different for him, a week earlier a family for the community had an accident the adults die and the boy, a kid of his own age was in the hospital, he had heard the rumors, but he wasn't one to perused for gossip, no if he want to keep his family secret as a secret, he won't get caught in gossip…

The first day of school, he was early, not by much, but enough to avoid the rush of students getting to school and got his books and went to class, he wasn't deaf, he was good tuning out the world but even then he heard about the boy with bright white hair and a cane, he tried not paying attention, he was sit in the last row of the classroom, but as if fate was mocking him, the boy with white hair took the seat to his left, the chair next to the window, and without thinking, for a split second he took a glance to the boy and the boy look at him with a sad smile and then look to the front, where their teacher was making an effort to get the attention of the students in to class and not to the kid with white hair, Martin on the other side, was making his own effort to hide the fact that he was sweating his guts, but he can't take off his jacket, his father had make the mistake of mark his arms…

Martin really was sweating, by the end of the first part of the day, he definitely was a relive when the bell ring announcing the recess, he went out, to the football field, and look for the most discrete place and once he find the spot where he can eat and nobody will be able to see him, he took his jacket off and sighs content, he love the spot he had choose because he can see all the football field, while he was eating and looking to the field he notices the boy with white hair sitting by himself behind the benches and eating his lunch, in some sad way, Martin though that they were eating together and feel a little bit better or at least he can fool himself about not being alone.

He wasn't a great student, but because he doesn't have friends, he devoted himself to the class but sometimes he like to wonder and explore the library, he found excellent books about football and literature, he loved literature, specially Robert Fisher, he found a rusty copy of his favorite book, but he need to be in his way home so he put the book back in his place and run home, before his father arrives, his mother won't tell if he is late anymore, she was better and there was no need for him to be nursing her, but his father had cameras all over the house to check on his wife so he always know if he was late…

The first month of school he keep measuring the time checking different ways to go home from school and sometimes, certain days, he was able to stay late in school and be home on time for give his mother the medicine and before his father get0 home.

However, one day, he just didn't feel like he can endure home, so he skipped the last class and went to the library, Martin was so engrossed with the story of a knight trying to free himself from his armor, so he can go back home, back to his wife and child that he hope were waiting for him, he was so lost in the reading that didn't realize the time so when a girl with a turtleneck blouse and long sleeves tell him that school was closing he panics and run home, his father already was at home and he make his back black that night, he was in so bad shape that he didn't go to school the next day, he stay at home with his mom and she try to give him painkillers but he didn't took them, every time his father took them after a while he was more violent…

Even then he was happy; his dad will be on a business trip over the weekend so they will be alone and his mother was more flexible that his dad plus on weekend so she will be mostly on church duties and they always care for her.

So that Thursday when his father leave he feels like he could breathe again, even with his body in different layers of black, he wasn't in shape to go to school on Friday, his mother knew he didn't have any friends so she call a couple of friend of hers from church and ask if their children were to the same class so they can share the homework with Martin, and they say they find out and come to their house on Friday afternoon to give it to him.

On Friday, Martin heard everything since the front door opens and his mother receive the homework, for the sounds of it, a girl, but she excuse Martin saying that he was out shopping but certainly will be thanking her on Monday, the girl laugh and says that she doesn't even know him, but she shares almost all the classes with him, the one she don't Tobias did and he give her the homework when he learn about his absence, Martin tried to laugh for his back hurts, so he stays in silence and waits until his mother says goodbye the girl and come to his room, he tries to stand, but his mother don't let him, she help him to change position and he does his homework with his belly on the bed and is books on the floor, a couple of hour later, his mother comes to help him to eat and his back doesn't hurt that much, he starts to stand and walk, next day, they have to go to church and nobody need to know he is injured, his father probably hurt him more if they don't stick to the routine and people start to gossip.

So, the next morning he force himself out of bed and took his mother to church duty, at the beginning of the pray her mom faint in the middle of the hall, and start to seizure all over but he know there was nothing to do but to hold her up until the ambulance arrive so he took of his jacket and used as a pillow while took her hand and wait, suddenly he realize a chill through his back and remembers that beneath the jacket he only have a white t-shit under the jacket and his bruises where very visible, in that moment he panic…

That was the day everybody sees that is family has troubles, that God didn't protected him and he feel ashamed, because they saw the marks in his arms and back, they know that his father punish him, the priest call an ambulance and the police and he went with his mom to the hospital but they didn't let him be in the room, instead he is taken to other room and where they treat his cuts and bruises, that night his aunt came to the hospital and tells him that she was going to live with him, because his mother will go to a hospital for permanent care and his father will go to jail.

That night he can't sleep, he was happy that the next time he was late from school he wasn't going to be punished and he can finally do and stay out with friends, he didn't have any friends, but he was determined to have them now. He keep growing bright and happy, by his third year he became a star in the football team, but he doesn't have a girlfriend, but he is king of the prom and dances with his best friend girlfriend looking very beautiful in a beautiful soft blue, sleeveless dress, they are without doubt the one of the most unexpected friendships, thanks to his talent in football he goes to college and manages to keep in touch after high school, when in college he become a star, but always studied hard, even when he received a call of his aunt telling him that his mother was very sick, he came back home, not a day after he arrive his mother died, after buried her, visits his dad in prison to tell him, and says college he was drafted for the NFL, but that's only for a few years…

At 24 Martin is ready for more; he was best man in his best friend wedding, read every book his other best friend wrote and baptizes their son, he came back home for his godson birthday and visits their high school, in the library were he meet his friends, he remembers how beautiful Sara was in the wedding dress and the happiness in Tobias face as she walked the aisle, they were meant for each other…

At 30, he accepts a job and at 31 after a successful career as a professional athlete, he came back to high school to be the new coach and was happy, because after Sunday mass he had been invited to lunch with their friends, Tobias has just come back from abroad and Sara just publish her first mystery novel, but more importantly, Martin will play with his godson and he will introduce them to his partner, a chef who will open his first restaurant in their town, he definitely joke about been more happy that them but also he finally, settle in and maybe starts to plan a proposal…


End file.
